Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, weeps during opening statements in the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, weeps during opening statements in the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica ... more

Image 2 of 20

Keisha Brown, mother of fire victim Elias Castillo, speaks to family members of other fire victims prior to the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Opening statements start this morning, and trial can potentially resume for a month. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Keisha Brown, mother of fire victim Elias Castillo, speaks to family members of other fire victims prior to the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in ... more

Image 3 of 20

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin stands next to Jessica Tata before opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin stands next to Jessica Tata before opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of ... more

Image 4 of 20

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, enters the courtroom prior to opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, enters the courtroom prior to opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in ... more

Image 5 of 20

Image 6 of 20

(Left to right) Keisha Brown, mother of fire victim Elias Castillo, is embraced by Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, prior for opening statements in the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

(Left to right) Keisha Brown, mother of fire victim Elias Castillo, is embraced by Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, prior for opening statements in the Jessica Tata trial at the ... more

Image 7 of 20

Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, has a tattoo memorializing her son on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Tiffany Dickerson, mother of fire victim Shomari Dickerson, has a tattoo memorializing her son on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston ... more

Image 8 of 20

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin delivers opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin delivers opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west ... more

Image 9 of 20

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin delivers opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Defense Attorney Mike DeGeurin delivers opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west ... more

Image 10 of 20

Image 11 of 20

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, stands at the conclusion of opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, stands at the conclusion of opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. ... more

Image 12 of 20

Keisha Brown, mother of fire victim Elias Castillo, quietly weeps during opening statements in the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Jessica Tata is accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare. Opening statements start this morning, and trial can potentially resume for a month. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Prosecutor Steve Baldassano delivers opening statements to the jury in the Jessica Tata trial at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston ... more

Image 14 of 20

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, enters the courtroom prior to opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in Houston. Photo: Mayra Beltran, Houston Chronicle / 2012 Houston Chronicle less

Jessica Tata, accused in the deaths of four children at her west Houston daycare, enters the courtroom prior to opening statements at the Harris County Criminal Courthouse on Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, in ... more

Image 15 of 20

Image 16 of 20

Kiyanna Richardson with a photo of her brother, Shomari, in 2011. The now-7-year-old is still emotionally distraught from the death of her brother, her grandmother says.
Photo: Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle less

Kiyanna Richardson with a photo of her brother, Shomari, in 2011. The now-7-year-old is still emotionally distraught from the death of her brother, her grandmother says.
Photo: Mayra Beltran / Houston ... more

Image 17 of 20

The children who lost their lives in the fire include Elizabeth Kajoh,
Photo: Hanson, Johnny / handout

The children who lost their lives in the fire include Elizabeth Kajoh,
Photo: Hanson, Johnny / handout

Image 18 of 20

Kendyll Stradford,
Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

Kendyll Stradford,
Photo: James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle

Image 19 of 20

and Elias Castillo
Photo: Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle

and Elias Castillo
Photo: Mayra Beltran / Houston Chronicle

Image 20 of 20

Cellphone video shows children on morning of fatal day care fire

1 / 20

Back to Gallery

Day 2: A jury saw a video Thursday morning offering a brief glimpse of some of the children from the day of the fatal fire at a west Houston day care last year, wandering, crying and laughing before they were burned or killed hours later.

April Jackson, the state's fifth witness in the murder trial against Jessica Tata, recalled seeing her then-1-year-old son lying in a hospital, sedated and covered in bandages the day his day care was consumed in flames. The fire was allegedly started by oil left frying on a warm stove by Tata. Jackson said her son, now 3, is very different from the little boy seen crying when gently scolded by Tata in the video clip.

Jackson, whose son escaped the fire with severe burns, followed four victims' family members who testified Wednesday in the first day of the trial. Each witness has recounted their experience for the jury from how they met Tata and grew to trust her to the moment they learned about the fire.

All members of the courtroom, including the typically stoic Tata, turned to watch the brief cell phone video in earnest after it was admitted into evidence during Jackson's testimony. The waddling toddlers and babies were ushered and gently reprimanded by Tata, who shot the video.

The fatal fire started on Feb. 24 when oil was left burning on a stove, while Tata was out shopping at Target. Tata's attorney, Mike DeGeurin, has said that the young care giver did not mean to harm the children and is tasked with proving that the fire was a horrible accident.

Tata, who fled to Nigeria shortly after the fire, has been jailed since she was captured and returned to the U.S. on more than $1 million in bail.

Day 1:Tiffany Dickerson sobbed Wednesday as she testified she had to choose between seeing her daughter in the emergency room or her son in the morgue after the pair burned in a home day care fire last year.

"The medical examiner was supposed to hold him for me," she cried as she talked about the death of 3-year-old Shomari. "I never got to see him again."

Dickerson is the first witness to testify against Jessica Tata, the woman accused of killing four toddlers in the blaze on Feb. 24, 2011.

Earlier in the day, prosecutors in a Harris County courtroom said Tata left the children alone to go grocery shopping as a fire broke out because a pot of oil was left on a hot burner.

During opening statements, a prosecutor said Tata even told a Target employee that she had left her stove burning at her home.

Tata's defense attorneys called it a frantic realization. Prosecutors called it a betrayal of trust. Opening statements in the emotional trial began Wednesday morning.

"She obtained the trust of six families," prosecutor Steve Baldassano told the jury. "And she betrayed that trust."

The blaze that seriously injured three others at Jackie's Child Care started because of oil left on a heated stove top.

Tata's attorney, Mike DeGeurin, called the fire a "horrible accident." He argued that his client, then 22, tried to save the children and did not intend any harm.

He said the media frenzy surrounding the case from the moment the aftermath was aired live on local television led to her initial reaction and interviews with investigators.

Baldassano told the jury he plans to call more than a dozen witnesses, including arson investigators, neighbors, relatives of the young victims, officials from the Texas Department of Family and Protective services, Target employees and an engineer who has analyzed the stove. Prosecutors are tasked with proving the stove was used as a deadly weapon.

He said surveillance footage and cell phone records will show that she left the children alone and that she did not appear in a hurry to return.

DeGeurin emphasized that the facts of the case are not in dispute and that no harm was intended for the children. He said videos from the Target store where she was seen were not very clear.

He said her frantic call to 911 was telling, and the recording will be heard during the trial. He said she desperately tried to save the children, even punching a glass window to get inside her house. Although she initially lied to neighbors and investigators about not being at the house when the fire broke out, DeGeurin said the intense media coverage and frightening situation was understandable for the young woman.

Tata, 24, is being tried in Elias' death. If convicted, she faces a possible life sentence. If a jury decides Tata is guilty, details about the deaths of the other children could be used during the trial's punishment phase. If Tata is acquitted, the other deaths could spawn other trials.

She has also been charged with three counts of abandoning a child and two counts of reckless injury to a child.